Report: Casey Hampton Takes Pay Cut In Contract Restructure

Judging by the report by Brian McIntyre, Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton has taken a reduction in his 2012 base salary and eliminated his $1 million workout bonus. Hampton, who is headed into the final year of his three year contract, was scheduled to earn a $4.89 million base salary to go along with a $1 million workout bonus. He also had $2,166,668.00 million worth of signing bonus proration left on the books as well and his cap hit in 2012 was scheduled to be $8,056,668.00 million.

Hampton has apparently reduced his base salary to $2.8 million and removed his his workout bonus and McIntyre reports it reduced his cap number by $3.09 million, which does not totally add up on my end. If Hampton took the flat out reduction of the base and eliminated the workout bonus, his cap hit should be $4,966,668.00. It makes me wonder if an additional year was tacked on, but I will have to double check these numbers with a few sources of mine. For now at least we know he did drop his cap hit in 2012.

ETA: OK, the numbers work out to be a cap reduction of $3.09 million, so his 2012 cap hit should now be 4,966,668.00. It was a straight pay cut in 2012 and no year was added on. I just can\’t read this morning.

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What was his incentive to accept this pay cut? Did the Steelers threaten to cut him outright?

SteelersDepot

Very possible. Could almost be taken as a certain he will start regular season on PUP as well, which would mean he misses a minimum of 6 weeks.

Grant

So is this a direct pay cut, or a restructure? Also any word yet on weather or not this adds another year to his deal?

SteelersDepot

Pay cut.

Lantz48

ok, 3 million more cap. scott and will allen could be another 3.5 so maybe the steelers are coming up with some money to sign wallace . I think his price is going up maybe 10 million per.

Busforever

Now we can say that Casey Hampton REALLY wants to help and make the team. He just gave them 3 millions! That’s a lot more different than to restructure without losing money, which is what happens in most case. Those restructurations are a short term solution and a long term issue (look at the cap for 2013, that’s scary). Maybe they added a close so they can’t cut him? If not, this is a real sacrifice for Hampton. Unbelievable team first mentality.

Intropy

It was probably that or cut him. They just couldn’t afford to pay so much for a guy with decreasing production, no long term prospects, coming off a major injury who may well miss part of the season. Even the reduced amount seems steep. What portion of it is accounting for prior bonus?

SteelersDepot

$2,166,668.00

MazIII

I was under the impression that they can cut him if hes hurt. no? or is that just if they are on the PUP or IR?

That or now he’ll feel less guilty when he doesn’t work hard to rehab and ends up at 400lbs and barely contributing.

TO

Really don’t understand the point of keeping him at all. He’ll be out til at least week 7, when if he can play, he is a 2 down player at best, during which he is generally getting cut-blocked and rendered useless. Additionally, this is a passing league. A plodding 350lbs (not to mention 35-year old coming off a bad injury) NT really can’t add a lot of value at this point, just in general. I keep hearing the “without Snack we have no depth.” Well, the staff is going to need a plan regardless given Hampton will likely be on PUP to start the season. Thought the lesson would have been learned when they kept Smith on the active roster in 08. If the FO had been proactive they would have cut him a while ago and signed Wallace before FA began, probably getting him for < $40 mil. Now they are looking at $50 if not $60. Don’t know if it’s just nostalgia on the staff’s part or what, but I see almost no upside to keeping Hampton around.